Syngenta trials indicate increased yields with corn earworm control

Syngenta today unveiled preliminary data from its 2008 trials designed to evaluate the efficacy of its new broad-spectrum lepidopteran corn pest control trait, event MIR162. The company also announced that the new trait will be known as the Agrisure Viptera™ trait.

The Agrisure Viptera trait recently was granted registration approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pending all remaining regulatory and key import approvals, hybrids containing the Agrisure Viptera trait are anticipated to be available for planting in spring 2010.

Battles said the trials focused on evaluating the effect of the Agrisure Viptera trait in environments with normal corn earworm pressure. “In addition to measuring yield, we also measured ear damage from naturally occurring pests such as corn earworm,” Battles said. “There was a clear correlation between the level of ear damage and yield increases in the Agrisure CB/LL/RW check vs. the Agrisure Viptera stack. We saw the biggest yield advantages in plots that had higher levels of corn earworm pressure. While the average yield advantage for all plots weighed in at 10.2 bushels per acre, the yield advantage in plots with corn earworm infestation rose to 16.3 bushels per acre.”